1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to safety apparatus in particular but not limited to a safety helmet or head piece emitting a vertical and upwardly directed light or laser beam. The incident light beam emitted as a vertical column is to indicate the position of the wearer irrespective of whether the wearer is upright or lying in an injured position and obscured from view and is to be distinguished from headgear mounted lamps for general illumination purposes. The purpose of the invention is also to reduce the possibility of such accidents.
2. Description of the Related Art
Working in poorly lit environments such as underground mines or in dark caves, can be a highly dangerous activity. For example, in the mining situation there can be moving equipment such as coal trucks which may visually obscure a miner working in the facility. While a head lit helmet may contribute in some way to indicate the presence of a miner, if the illuminated portion of the helmet is itself visually blocked for example, if the miner is injured or lying in a prone position, such as between large pieces of machinery, the location of the miner may not be revealed to a search party.
The problem is similar in the case of recreational activities such as caving or diving in underground caves. A caver or diver who has been injured or trapped may not be located easily such as where radio or GPS contact is not available. Location by way of light in such environments is extremely helpful where a point source of light such as reflected off the roof off the cave, can help pin point the stricken member. In the case of underground diving often a collimated beam emanating vertically may also be reflected by particulate matter in the matter and/or as a spot on the surface of the water which can indicate the position of the diver. In the mining situation as previously mentioned, light reflected by dust particles in the mine as well as the reflective spot on the roof of the mining tunnel operates in a similar matter. A further example is where fire fighters may be injured or unsighted in extremely smoky conditions. While the prior art safety equipment includes walkie-talkie or radio communication, an injured fire fighter is in grave danger if he, or she cannot respond accordingly. Specifically, the present invention is directed to where the wearer may be stricken in a prone or non upright position or obscured between large items of equipment in dusty or smoky conditions, or if submerged in a body of water. The apparatus can also be used simply to indicate the location or presence of the wearer but is not directed to a general illumination means exemplified by the prior art such as a headlight found on a bicycle or underground mining helmets. This is a novel and inventive safety invention specifically directed to where the user may be injured or lying in a non upright position on the ground or under water.